What vehicles are covered by lemon laws?
Lemon laws will vary depending on the state in which the consumer is located and where the vehicle was purchased. While all lemon laws are designed to protect consumers from defective vehicles, the specific types of vehicles that are covered will differ depending on your location. For example, some states will cover used vehicles or leased vehicles, while others will not. Some have separate laws, but do cover both new and used vehicles. Some states will include motorcycles in the law, others may include motorhomes. Basically, finding out what is covered under your state's lemon laws will be a matter of finding your state statutes.
Because each state is different, the following are just a few samples of various state lemon laws concerning lemon car coverage. Your state may provide more or less coverage, but these can give you a general idea of what to expect:
New York State Lemon Laws
- Cover new and used cars that satisfy four conditions regarding warranty details, date and place of purchase, and use of vehicle
- Cover leased vehicles if the consumer is responsible for repairs according to the lease agreement
- Cover motorhomes, not including defects of the system, fixtures, appliances, or the parts that are not directly related to the vehicle's operation
- Do not cover motorcycles
- Do not cover off-road vehicles
Alabama Lemon Laws
- Cover all vehicles designed for use on public roads, unless they meet exceptions below
- Do not cover motorhomes
- Do not cover vehicles with gross volume weight over 10,000 pounds
Kansas Lemon Laws
- Cover new vehicles, purchased and leased
- Vehicle must be registered at a gross weight under 12,000 pounds
- Do not include vehicle customizations
Kentucky Lemon Laws
- Cover all vehicles excluding: conversion vans, motorhomes, mopeds, motorcycles, farm machines, and vehicles with more than 2 axles
As you can see, each state has different lemon laws. To determine what laws apply in your state and for assistance in making a lemon law claim, consult a consumer or lemon law lawyer in your area.